Mexican Mayor Weds Crocodile To Bring Good Luck To His Village

The ceremony symbolizes a long-ago union between two indigenous groups.

The mayor of a small fishing village in southern Mexico recently fulfilled one of the duties of the job by marrying a crocodile.

Victor Aguilar, mayor of San Pedro Huamelula, got hitched to a fairly small reptile on June 30, as part of an indigenous tradition supposed to bring good fortune to local fishermen.

No crocodile tears were shed when the bride showed up in a beautiful white wedding dress perfectly tailored to her dimensions. A white ribbon was tied around her mouth to prevent any injuries, according to the Spanish language website Zocalo.com.mx.

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This crocodile "married" the mayor of San Pedro Huamelula in southern Mexico.

In the strictly symbolic ceremony, the mayor represents the prince of the Chontales, while the crocodile represents the princess of the Huaves. Tradition has it that the two indigenous groups battled over fishing rights until a Chontal prince fell in love with a Huave princess, according to CNN.

The ceremony has been conducted since 1789, and is currently incorporated into a festival honoring the town’s patron saint, St. Peter, according to the Spanish language site Imparcial Oaxaca.

This year, the chosen crocodile was given the name Ema Narváez Muñoz, after Aguilar’s real wife, who held the reptile during the ceremony, Zocalo.com.mx reported.

After the nuptials, the couple did enjoy a first dance. Media reports don’t mention what happened to the crocodile after that.